Duke Energy Carolinas Grant Awarded to RCC

A grant of $244,200 for state-of-the-art machining simulation training equipment has been awarded to Randolph Community College by the Duke Energy Carolinas’ Community College Grant Program, which is managed by the Foundation For The Carolinas. The grant will fund the purchase of five GE Fanuc Computer and Numerical Control (CNC) simulators, four initial training sessions provided by the manufacturer, a Haas CNC turning center and supplies.

The simulators will be used to teach associates of The Timken Company in Randleman specific advanced machining skills needed in their jobs, as well as to provide training to students in RCC’s Machining Technology curriculum, said grant project manager Mitchell Kiser, who serves as chair of RCC’s Mechanical & Industrial Department and program head for Machining Technology.

The training will enable Timken employees to do set-ups and tool offsets and to use the offsets to make corrections, a very important component of Timken operations, according to Allan J. Ward, organizational advancement principal for Timken. This will facilitate productivity increases of 2%-5%, said Ward, which will enable Timken to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Currently 36 employees need all or part of this training and Timken estimates that 6-8 employees will need it each year in the future.

The simulators will also be used by RCC faculty to provide cutting-edge training to students in RCC’s Machining Technology curriculum. RCC graduates an average of 15 students each year in its certificate, diploma and degree machining programs, said Kiser. Almost all are employed by the time they complete their machining courses, due to the high demand for skilled machinists in Randolph and surrounding counties

The simulators will be housed on RCC’s Asheboro Campus, but are portable should Timken or, later, other industries request on-site training. Kiser will also provide a two-day continuing education workshop on the use of the simulators to members of the North Carolina Association of Instructors of Machine Shops (AIMS), the statewide professional group for community college machining instructors. Kiser is the president of that group. There is also the possibility of loaning the machines to sister community colleges in the Duke Energy service area. “To my knowledge, we will be the first community college in the state to purchase this style of simulators,” he said. Kiser said they hope to have the equipment delivered to RCC by May 1, with training to start soon afterwards.

Both the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation and the Archdale-Trinity Chamber of Commerce provided endorsements in support of the grant proposal. “Fabricated metals and machinery is one our five targeted industries, so the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation is regularly and actively recruiting these kinds of companies,” said Bonnie Renfro, RCEDC president. Beverly Nelson, director of the Archdale-Trinity Chamber, said, “This training would be very beneficial for a number of existing companies in the area and would be quite useful in recruiting others.”

Duke Energy has recognized that even though the Carolinas have top-rated community and technical college systems, budgetary constraints present a challenge for them. Duke Energy’s Community and Technical College Grant Program provides a financial boost that helps enable college systems to extend their expertise, to provide rewarding opportunities for students, and ultimately, to help revitalize manufacturing in the Carolinas.

Foundation For The Carolinas is a nonprofit community foundation serving donors and a broad range of charitable purposes in North and South Carolina. With assets of more than $500 million, the Foundation encourages and makes possible philanthropic giving by individuals of all means to benefit their communities. For more information, visit www.fftc.org.